Banners is fantastic, relaxed, has an original atmosphere and still has THE BEST homemade burger yet to be sampled and the most fabulous cocktails. Reasonably priced. Great service. MUST book in advance especially at the weekend. An absolute must!

I've only been to Banners once and it was so busy i didn't really get a feel for the place. It was Sunday lunch time though, so I could understand the crowd, but to be honest the Banners crowd level just didn't do it for me at all.

I've been going to this place on and off for years and every time I go I ask myself why did I bother?! Firstly, lets start with a positive, the music is the only positive thing I can think of, oh and Rachel, one of the managers. Everything else is negative. The food is over priced and very basic, but not basic in a good way! All of the staff (apart from Rachel) have massive attitude problems, so rude and unwelcoming, and the coffee is terrible! I definitely will not be returning here again, I seriously don't know how this place is always so busy!

Always a great place to eat here. Staff are very pleasant. Portions are huge and very tasty. Nice added touch of free popcorn as an appetizer whilst waiting for the meal. I've been a few times with friends and never failed to enjoy the experience. On this visit I had the Stamp & Go for starters which was well presented and filling, friend had the Special of curried lentil soup (there was so much that she took some home in a cup!) and another had the huge king prawns. Main course for me was the seabass and apart from the many bones (I forgot it wasn't filleted), the rocket salad and side order of sweet potato fries were great. only irritation was i asked for side of mayonnaise and didn't realise it cost 50p until the bill came (not sure why it was an added cost as other condiments were provided free on the table). My other friend had the roti, well recommended and tasty and another had the steak which she couldn't stop rating highly enough. Atmosphere is cosy and very busy and popular as we noticed some people were being turned away having not booked. All in all, another great evening at Banners!

?Even our 3 year old said we should have gone to Giraffe! ?we've been regulars at Banners for several years and have always enjoyed the atmosphere, food and sometimes even the service! My Wife booked a table for father's day breakfast and we were all looking forward to a chilled morning.. ?However, our waitress at best displayed an icy efficiency with little charm or personality, and indeed little efficiency either at times. No sooner had we sat down than demands were being made for our drink orders , a request to change a cracked mug was treated with the obvious contempt it deserved and woe betide me for asking her for maple syrup to accompany the pancakes I had ordered. Food was thrown down and empty plates snatched away with no notice. ?The food, which we had enjoyed on so many occasions before, was by far the biggest disappointment. The quality of the ingredients was to say the least cheap. They were cooked with very little care (for example, my son's toast was burnt on one side and uncooked on the other, we all had eggs that had runny whites) and then thrown on the plate with no real forethought. The only part of the hurried meal which was handled with any real enthusiasm and efficiency was the provision of the bill and processing of the payment. I guess they wanted to squeeze as many punters as they could through the door! In summary - this restaurant is relying on its former glory rather than continuing to provide the great food it once did.

Really love Banners, been to Banners twice in as many months. Check out easypeaseyrestaurantreview. Blogspot. Com for the full review. Go along, it has great atmosphere, lovely food, friendly staff, what more could you ask for?

I just don't get the hype with Banners. I've been to Banners a few times with friends and have been disappointed each time. I will not be getting robbed by Banners again! The food is very poor. Lamb chewy. Salt fish for the fish cakes never soaked enough and far too salty and as of the "west indian" style curry chicken lol I'd love to know who classed it as "west indian". Poor menu badly cooked! Cramped seating. Banners survives on the hype that people choose to buy into.

Banners is a favourite with those with children. It's always really busy but I can't quite understand why. Their menu is pages and pages long but 75% of those pages are advertising. They do cafe food with some Latin dishes. It's a little overpriced given the actual food quality (which is alright, nothing more) and it's not spacious. The 2 seater tables at the back are particularly uncomfortable.

I think everyone that is getting a bit hot under the collar should just take a deep breath and chill out. Banners is a good restaurant/cafe. There is an issue here with the 'friendly and relaxed' atmosphere which it seems many of you are taking as being 'non-customer focused and lazy'. Sure, the staff wont come and ask you every five minutes if you want a drink, and sure it can be quite busy and crowded - Fine dining this is not. However, the food is truly tasty and are not at all overpriced if you bare in mind the size of the dishes - which are absolutely huge (and if you do not finish, as I have done on a couple of occasions, do not feel ashamed to ask them to wrap your left overs. They won't even bat an eyelid. 2 meals for the price of one? Now the menu's not looking so pricey is it?). Still not happy? You'll be glad to see their is a Lighter Menu page with dishes around the £6-7 mark. So to sum up, the Service: Is good as long as you actually enjoy the company of the person (people) you are with and don't want a waitress/waiter coming over all the time and making small talk whilst making you feel guilty for not ordering more wine/side dishes/coffees/deserts - which is precisely what I despise about a lot of these places which some people would say have amazing service, I would call it annoying. The Food: Delicious, rustic, filling and they certainly don't skip on the portion sizes. The Location: Lovely, straight after why not pop over to kissthesky for a beautiful cocktail or indeed try any one of the great pub/bars in the area. Favourite Dishes: Jerk Chicken, Mediterranean Salad and the side dish of Spoon Bread is a must taste!

Concerned that my ten year boycott of the place denied the possibility of change and improvement, I returned to Banners last night. I would like to append my review above. Please note I would give this place 2 and a half stars, but only whole stars are allowed, so I have after some deliberation rounded down. My impression was as follows: The place is striving for a tongue in cheek 3rd world chic which is slightly galling in itself, but does make for an interesting atmosphere. The food is predominantly Jamaican. Jerk that, rice and pea this. Main courses cost about £13. I had a rib eye steak (£16). The steak was tougher than I would have liked but the accompanying chips were good. My companion ordered fish cakes which were overpriced (£13) but apparently tasty. Nothing was great, but everything was okay. Service was pleasant but inattentive. I won't be going back. But if you are have kids it seems this is a good place to go during the day.

I have lived in the area for nearly 20 years, on and off, and I loathe this place. I haven't been in for around 10 years now, so in all fairness it might have changed, though to look at, it seems the same: A pretentious, soulless, overpriced husk of middle class mediocrity and hypocrisy. It is always crawling with people's offspring and is infamously the reason Bob Dylan did not move into the area (his favourite Indian restaurant is here). I will continue to avoid it as I consider it the warning gibbet that depicts much of what is wrong with the area.

It is quite a good place when you have kids. Food is good though nothing special and the portions are huge! Best to book a table over the week-end.

Banners is a busy place with good honest food ( and a lot of it to boot) .

There is variety the its it run as a business should be. What you see is what you get!

Been there for Sunday lunch times and enjoyed the buzz.

There must be a reason why the restaurant is fully booked, your guess?

The staff in banners seem to get offended when you signal them over that you want something! It really is the most overrated place in N8 or N10, ther food is average, the only thing which makes it just about bearable is that it has a bar! They surely need a manager in there to sort the staff, not people who would quite frankly be much happier as traffic wardens. What a dissapointment.

Banners is a great restaurant with lovely food and good service. The only bad point is can get quite hot in there. Banners is nice for dates and one to one chats.

I have just tried to book a table at Banners and was immediately put off by the sarcastic tone and luck of interest from, what I assume was either the owner or a waitress.

I was really looking forward to visiting this lovely place again but now I will try to find a table somewhere else, where I feel more welcome. Banners, you used to do better to keep your customers happy, now you don't have very good reviews anywhere on net! What a shame.

Banners is my favourite ever restaurant. It does get busy, but the cosy tables and ambience and friendly chat of the staff make you feel at home.

The food at Banners does perhaps look slightly pricey (£10 for burger and chips), but it is so delicious it's well worth it. The steak and sweet potato mash is excellent, the kleftico melts in your mouth, and they make the best hot chocolate I've ever had. Very generous portions too. People who claim they can't see what the fuss about Banners is - fine! More room for the rest of us.

I don't live in Crouch End and am glad I don't if Banners is as good as it gets. I was taken to this apparently popular place by friends. Banners was indeed very busy, and the attitude of some of the staff seemed to suggest that customers should feel that it is a privilege to be admitted. It is not.

The service was slow, the place was too crowded, and the price bore little relation to the mediocre food. When I dared question the waitress about this, she glared at me and was quite sarcastic. There went her tip, but I'll give her another one - find an occupation more suited to your talents. I believe that there are vacancies for traffic wardens. Or someone will catspraddle de bombastic biddy.

If you're in the Crouch End area this place is a definite must. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, with the breakfast menu running all day long. There's an interesting menu, running from Spanish to Malaysian depending on what's on the specials board. You should definitely try the Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Chorizo, a Cafe Late and a Bloody Mary! Yummy!

Banners is Crouch End’s most popular eatery. Part American-style diner, part cafe bar – it’s famous for its hangover-busting weekend brunches and celebrity regulars.

The Venue
Situated in the heart of Crouch End, this small neighbourhood restaurant feels crowded when the place is packed, especially at the front if people are eating at the narrow bar. At the back it’s darker and there are pleasantly private tables for two. The walls are covered with pop memorabilia, mostly newspaper cuttings and gig advertisements. One table is dedicated to Bob Dylan who ate a burger there and praised it in a magazine.

The Atmosphere
By day it is a haven for parents, who sip lattes while their youngsters down Brown Cow milk shakes and doodle with the crayons doled out on entry. Despite excellent child-friendly credentials, Banners maintains a grown-up feel – something to do with the extensive list of rums and tequilas and the availability of American Spirit additive-free cigarettes.

Banners serves world food to a soundtrack of world music – both with a Caribbean twist. The atmosphere is relaxed, but buzzing and lively. Large groups gather to celebrate birthdays and diners indulge in discreet star-spotting – Simon Pegg, Matt Willis and Martin Freeman are all devotees. Service is friendly and engaging, if a little slow.

The Food
Daytime is all about enormous American style breakfasts, with Mexican huevos rancheros and refried beans adding zing. After dark, the food remains hearty, with daily specials such as Malaysian crayfish curry, chicken fajitas and jerk swordfish. Starters are described as small meals and feature sizzling chorizo in red wine and calamari with homemade tartar sauce, priced around the £6 mark. Portions are gigantic and those attempting to eat a three-course-meal are liable to be defeated – or, possibly, sick.

The beef burger is as good as any in London – a juicy meat patty, slathered in barbeque sauce, topped with cheese and served in a slightly sweet onion bun – the sweetness emphasising the flavour of the savoury meat. Crisp, hand-cut chips and a pile of salad complete the dish. Meat is cooked to order, but beware – the tendency is under rather than over. Anything rarer than medium may still have a pulse.

Of all the main courses (none topping £15,) the most popular is the jerk chicken platter, a Herculean plateful of half a jerk-marinated chicken, fried plantain or rice and peas and peanut sauce. Vegetarians are spoilt for choice with veggie bangers and mash and Aubergine and spinach curry among the options. Puddings for about £6 include fruit crumble and sticky toffee pudding. The exemplary Marine Ices provide frozen desserts. Mango sorbet drenched in home flavoured lime rum is a sweet, sour and boozy joy.

The Drink
Illy coffee, fresh fruit smoothies and ice-cream milkshakes are all-day charmers. A short wine-list is mostly new world and peaks at £25. House wine is uninspiring – Breton cider, Cruzcampo lager or bottled wheat beers make a better choice. Cocktails at approximately £25 a jug are essential. The best are the tequila- and rum-based offerings, which include a daily special. Mango margarita is a well- balanced concoction – sweet, salty and strong.

The Last Word
Banners is an unpretentious, friendly and laid-back establishment serving hearty, generous food to admiring locals.